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Trump highlights North Korea and America first policy in State of the Union Address

Trump's address not only sent a message to Americans but also to the global population.
Kim Mok-yeon zooms in on the part of his speech that holds extra-significance for South Korea.
"North Korea and trade."
These two topics were the major concerns of many South Koreans in President Trump's long-awaited speech.
The U.S. President spoke of numerous concerns surrounding the U.S., and talked in depth about North Korea.
He mentioned North Korea's heightened level of threat to the U.S., Washington's maximum pressure on the regime, and its determination not to repeat the past mistakes of previous administrations.
This time around, Trump's tone was milder than his past speech at the UN General Assembly where he gave a stern warning to North Korea.
An expert says that this could be a possible sign of the easing of tensions between the two Koreas ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

"Due to the PyeongChang Olympics, signs of cooperation have been observed between the two Koreas. I think the ultimate goal of the U.S. is not focused on the cooperation itself, but the possibility that South Korea could bring North Korea back to talks for denuclearization through dialogue."

The expert however added that Washington's firm stance against North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations remains unchanged, saying that if the denuclearization of the regime cannot be reached through peaceful talks, President Trump will be ready to achieve that goal through heightened military pressure.
When it comes to trade, Trump just used five sentences, short but strong, to shed light on his "America first policy."
An economic expert says Trump's declaration of an end to the era of economic surrender, and his expectations towards fair and reciprocal trade relationships seem to consider the existing free trade deal with South Korea as "bad".

"By saying 'fixing bad deals', I think he referred to trade agreements that benefited other nations more than the U.S. such the NAFTA and the KORUS FTA. He even hinted of scrapping the old and negotiating totally new deals when things don't go well."

The expert said that Trump's remarks on protecting American workers could also deal a big blow to South Korea, as the U.S. leader is likely referring to keeping jobs and wages for its nationals especially in the manufacturing sector, where South Korea is seen as a competitor.